Specks of Gold
by vivacious730
Summary: Zuko has been searching for the avatar for 3 years and has failed each time but when he is captured by earthbenders he is thrown into a new world where he spies Katara, the avatars tag along. She gets separated from the gang and tries to find her way back to them. Will Zuko and Kat team up to find the avatar together or will a stupid attraction pull the enemies into something more.


**This is chapter one,** **there are more to come too! I hope you enjoy it. Katara Should be showing in the second chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or these wonderful characters though I wish I did. If I did, Katara and Zuko would be a happy couple working in Iroh's tea !**

**Zuko's Pov**

Dear, Son  
I may have explained earlier, while we were settling down for tea a many summers ago, that you were to marry at the young age of sixteen. Now I know this has come to action early, but I have found you a fine young woman. You have been arranged to Marry, Mai Daughter of a general who is highly respected. You will be a fine husband for her, she is very beautiful. You will be wedded on your eighteenth birthday. I'd expect nothing from you other than respect and obedience. As you are My son. The prince of this nation; Full fill your duty in life. No matter how things seem to change, never forget who are and know I will always love you.  
Love, Mom

_What was she saying. He'd never heard of a marriage arrangement, had father never told me. It must have been cut off when the_ accident happened. Zuko frowned solemnly at the old parchment in his hand, shaking his head, he tries to convince his pride stricken self that it wasn't true. _Why hadn't he found this sooner?_ He sighs heavily and crumples down on his bed roll, shoulders shaking as wet tears fall down his face onto the letter surface. Crying about the woman that he no longer remembered... Zuko's nose snuffs up and he blows into a handkerchief until clear snot is seen on the white material. no.. no!... NO! He was stronger than this. _He is not weak!_ He is the Prince of the fire nation for Agni's sake. Moving his aching body he stretches and pulls himself to his feet knee after knee. The tear trail, of his right eye, is noticeable close up on half of his porcelain face. His left eye sheds no tears at all, and he is afraid he will never shed any from it ever again. He pulls a map from his shoulder bag and decides that a small town in the north will be the best route for his passage. He will be going east; then north at the crossroads, already knowing that he'll be dangerously close to the Fire nation territory... He is journeying to find the avatar he reminds himself for the thousandth time, since he left with his uncle to be exiled. The avatar's flying beast had been spotted around the area, and nothing was going to stop him from regaining his honor. NOTHING! Not even the avatar. Zuko thinks about the kid giving him the slip, the bald monk kid fleeing each time he caught him. Immediately Zuko's calm features cringe with fury at being tricked into stupidity by the child.

He pulls on his sandals and pans the forest line for his foolish Uncle. Not seeing the old man, Zuko gets to work and hurries to pack up his utilities quickly, only stopping a second to extinguish the fire he'd made to cook lunch. After the fiery embers dimmed to a faint glow, he swung his right leg over his ostrich horse and kicked into the horse's flanks, willing it to go forth into the woods. It's very dangerous for him to be so close to home, he could literally ride a few miles and be on the out skirts of the city . Dark brown leaves fall silently, from the trees above, onto the dirt trail below. Zuko is mostly occupied with thoughts while pondering on about his mother's letter than to pay attention to the upcoming green shackled roof and the earth family that he passes. When he notices the children he knows it's too late, and Zuko could only hope that he could ride past the earth bender home without trouble. The two children dressed in dark green tunics scream at the sight of him and bend thick walls around them to protect themselves. The older boy brings his hands out in front of him to attack and the father comes out to see the fire bender, his eyes filled with worry, then sudden anger. The father shouts protectively," You royal Filth!" While shooting high walls around his kids to protect them from the formidable prince.

Yeah no, this wasn't how he wanted things to happen. All he wanted to do was find his smelly uncle and regain his honor!  
The inflamed father knew the fire nation prince from his scarred face. The earth bending family probably wouldn't had recognized him as the banished prince if they didn't live so close to fire nation. Damn it! Why does bad things happen to him!

"Get off my property, your not welcome here! Lost all your dignity huh..., you disgust me!" He ends his cry of anger by spatting on his horse. Suddenly feeling offended Zuko throws out a fire ball in the rugged fathers direction, and tries to elude the rocks flying over and around his body. The huge piece of earth hurtles towards him, and he whips his horse to run faster. Zuko huffs into his tunic sleeve, wondering how he could have gotten misguided. His mind enjoys torturing him obviously. It seems like he has entered the village of green rock. Zuko hadn't been in this territory since he was five, when he wondered off into the woods to play, carefully eluded his maid, and had gotten her fired after losing him. A long time ago that happened. So he is surprised when after a mile and a half of dead silence he hears quiet yet joyful singing down towards the east end the silver lake.

Zuko had camped down at that lake once when he had thrown his shoulder from accidently falling down the side of a cliff when his interest of adventure got the best of him. Zuko's mild curiousness pipes up and he turns left onto the rocky trail which leads to the water. Water is clean, you drink it, wash yourselves with it, yet it is a liquid that makes you shiver and gives you the cold sickness, not many from the fire nation had gotten it, but he had acquired it a couple months ago when his uncle had pushed him into a river in the middle of winter to take a bath. His uncle had told him he stunk and out of his own bitterness he had jumped in, trying to show that he was not scared of the water. It was awful, his teeth chattering and the feeling of death uncontrollably consumed him... It was his enemy, in a single strike the water could evaporate his attacks. Stupid water warriors putting them out without much effort when he has to sweat to punch out a few fireballs.

You could hardly even call water benders warriors, more like savages of the ice. Wearing animal skins and playing in the water. No, it was the fire nation who had the master martial art skills. Who could take anyone who came upon to threaten them. A quick ruffle of leaves has him jump and a swift rabbit turtle runs out in front of him, startling Zuko out of his reverie. He takes a few steps back and waits to catch his breath. The thought of a simple forest animal frightening him made his anger boil underneath his pale skin. Zuko, deciding to be smart, leans on a mossy tree and waits for another sound. Nothing happens so he moves around the tree, crawling to the ground and keeping himself hidden by wild berry bushes near the bank.  
Zuko parades out into the open yelling his battle cry certain that the predator was right under his nose. Zuko lunges into his first position fighting stance, and wields his precious broad swords into the air, picking up the pace as he nears the stranger. Leaves crackle under his light footsteps, and drops of morning dew fall on his shoulders as he sits on his heels making plan as he goes. Zuko had thought his mind was tricking him into believing in the invisible noise until he heard a distant voice.  
"Zuko... Zuko!" a familiar old voice cries not to far from where he is. The next moment he is on his feet, running through the thick foliage as his heart beats with uncertainty and fear for his Uncle.

"Uncle! Where are you! UNCLE!"

Zuko screams over the loud noise of approaching soldiers. He hadn't even known they were there until his ankles were surrounded by hard earth, tripping him while in motion. Zuko falls to the ground, dirt squished up against his right cheek. Knowing he couldn't pull his feet out from the ground; he knew that the earth bending soldiers would capture him. It came to mind that he didn't know where his uncle was. Unshed tears threatened to spill over his lashes at the thought. Surely they'd try to torture information out of him, but he knew he had enough honor not to rat.  
The soldiers lifted him up also while cuffing his hands together to keep from bending.  
"Well, well. Kantako look who we have here!" He smirked at the other young soldier. Kantako smiled bitterly.

"It's the traitor. The famous prince Zuko!" he grabs Zuko's chin and roughly turns his face to the right revealing his scar even more. The red edges flare over his left eye and most of his cheek. Kantako reaches out to touch the scar. Zuko's face pulls into a deadly snarl, suddenly he sucks in a deep breath and releases a leash of fire from his mouth. The fire consumes the man's hand, and Zuko could only laugh when Kantako screams out in fury. The other soldiers stand around and wait for something to happen. To wait for orders, wow they must be utterly shocked. Putting out the fire with his pants; Zuko Smiles deviously.

"RANOW! PUT HIM With the Old Floozy!" Kantako flusters openly.

The earth bender had expressed his weakness to him as soon as fire was on his door step, you'll never get mine you bastard Zuko thought. Ranow grabs on his shoulders and tugs Zuko through the woods a short ways and tries to pull him into a metal steel box. Zuko being mostly defenseless without the use of his arms, he sends streams of fire into the air, almost burning the man within inches. The solider named Ranow throws him in the box. After a minute Zuko is fully aware that another person is here because he hits something soft and squishy, someone oddly smelling of spicy leaves. Nervously looking up he affixes his eyes to his uncle's.  
"Well, Prince Zuko. How nice to see you." he offers a smile. He will never admit it, but his uncle's smile warms his warm. He would never admit it to him though. It took him this long to admit it to himself; only to an extant though of course. Zuko had made a promise a long time ago when disaster had struck to always be strong. And to never give up.

**I know it's not that long, but I promise the next one will be longer. This is my first fanfic so I'm sort hesitant about it, so it'd be nice if I could get some encouragement. Also in the story, Mai will appear. But I will just mention now that this is purely a Zutara. Please keeping reading and tell me ways that I can enhance the story to make it better.**

**Thanks, Love you guys. Rate and Review!**


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